The Albuquerque metropolitan area had a $7.7 billion international and domestic trade deficit in 2010 for manufactured and other goods, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution.

The good news is that 17.3 percent of the area’s total trade, or $5.9 billion, was international, above the 15 percent national average, said report co-author Joseph Kane. The 17.3 percent international share of all trade put the area in 24th place among the nation’s top 100 metro areas.

“Albuquerque is more internationally oriented than most metro areas,” Kane said.

The area imported more chemicals/plastics, machinery/tools, transportation equipment, precision instruments and other products than it exported, according to Brookings’ Global and Domestic Goods Trade in Metropolitan America study.

The area’s goods exports exceeded imports in four of 14 categories, the largest being electronics, which showed a $1.6 billion surplus. Other categories that showed surpluses were energy products, $200 million, and waste/scrap and stones/ores, both at $100 million.

The area’s total international and domestic trade — exports and imports — in manufactured and other goods was $33.9 billion, Brookings said.

The 17.3 percent international share of all trade put the area in 24th place among the nation’s top 100 metro areas.

“Albuquerque is more internationally oriented than most metro areas,” Kane said.

In terms of total domestic and international trade, the Albuquerque area’s $33.9 billion ranked 94th out of the top 100 metro areas, the report said.

“The negative figure has to be into context because of the way the Albuquerque economy is situated. It might specialize in services as opposed to manufacturing, like a Pittsburgh, but it also shows that Albuquerque has the money to buy the goods” through its reliance on selling its services, Kane added.

Electronics comprised the metro area’s largest trade category at $6.4 billion, followed by machinery and tools, $5.9 billion.

Kane said the study represented the first time Brookings has tried to take a detailed look at what metro areas are doing in terms of both international and domestic trade.